Device for liquefying honey



y 8, J. o. HALLMAN, SR 2,248,867

DEVICE FOR LIQUEFYING HONEY Filed June 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J: afiailman, 57!

July 8, 19 1- J; o. HALLMAN, SR

DEVICE FOR LIQUEFYING HONEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1940 Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,248,867 DEVICE FOR. LIQUEFYING HONEY Julian O. Haliman. Sn, Blackshear, Ga. Application June 27, 1940, Serial No. 342,790

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel device for liquefying comb honey which has become crystallized or granulated and particularly aims to provide a device having thermostatically controlled means for heating the interior of a container and circulating the air therethrough for maintaining a substantialy uniform temperature therewithin sumciently high for liquefying crystalllred honey and sufllciently low that wax from the honeycombs will not be melted.

Bulk comb honey is commonly packed in tin pails, glass jars and the like and if stored in a cold place the honey will crystallize. Where this occurs it has been the common practice to melt the combs and honey and then separate the wax from the honey and sell the strained honey as an inferior extracted honey. This invention provides an automatic device by means of which granulated bulk comb honey can be liquefied without melting or injuring the wax comb and without affecting the original color or flavor of the honey, as the low temperatures which cause the crystallization of the honey do not affect its flavor or color. This result is accomplished due to the fact that honey will melt at a temperature of substantially 110 degrees Fahrenheit while the honeycombs will melt at 143 degrees Fahrenheit and soften and lose its form at substantially 125 degrees Fahrenheit, so that by maintaining the honey in a temperature between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit the honey can be liquefied without affecting the honeycomb.

It is therefore a primary aim of the inventionto provide automatically controlled electrically energized heating means for maintaining a temperature within the container between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and means for obtaining a circulation of the air through and around the honey to insure a substantial uniformity of temperature. and to provide means connected in circuit with said electrical heating and air circulating means for automatically breaking the electric circuit to sai elements after a given period required to acco plish the above described result.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein;

Figure 1 is a front elevational view vice.

Figure 2 is horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

of the de- Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4- of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit of the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, l0 designates generally a container having a top, bottom and side walls each provided with an inner and outer ply of metal, designated Ii, and having interposed therebetween a layer of porcelain l2 for insulating the interior of the container in. The container III is provided with a door It in one side thereof which is similarly insulated, as best seen in Figure 2. The door i3 is supported along one side thereof by means of hinges l4 and on its opposite free edge is provided with a latch iii. The container III is provided with a plurality of shelves l6 which are supported therein in superimposed spaced apart relationship relatively to each other and to the bottom of the container by means of the brackets l1 which are attached to the inner side of the side walls of the container. Each of the shelves I6 is formed of mesh wire fabric l8 which is enclosed in a rigid frame l9.

The uppermost shelf I6 terminates short of one end of the container II to provide a space for a bracket 20 which is fastened to one of the side walls of the container ill and which supports a conventional electric fan 2! which faces toward the opposite end of the container III, as best seen in Figure 3. A cage 22 is disposed in front of the electric fan 2| and above the upper shelf is. The bracket 20 is formed of metallic straps and includes a diagonal brace, as best seen in Figure 3, and is so constructed that it will not impede the circulation of air to the space behind the fan 2| so that when the fan is in operation the air will circulate freely through the container l0 and through its shelves it which are adapted to support jars or pails of bulk comb honey, not shown.

Between the lowermost shelf I6 and the bottom of the container I0 is disposed a plurality of porcelain insulators 23 which are arranged, in sets of five insulators each. The insulators 23 of each of the sets are arranged to form substantially a square, as best seen in Figure 2, and are retained in position by means 01' bolts 24 which extend upwardly through the bottom of the container l and longitudinally through the insulators 23, as best seen in Figure 5. A metallic shield 26 is disposed over each of the sets of insulators 23 and is secured thereon by means of the bolts 24 which extend upwardly therethrough and which are provided on their upper, threaded ends with nuts 21 for detachably fastening the shields 26 to the insulators 23. The shields 26 are provided with outwardly and downwardly flared marginal flanges 23. Each of the insulators 23 includes a knob portion 23 at the upper end thereof and a tapered body portion 30 which tapers toward the knob portion 23. An electrical heating coil 3| is stretched around each of the sets of insulators 23 and disposed in the grooves thereof formed by junction of the body portions 30 and the knobs 23 thereof. As best seen in Figure 2, the ends of the electrical heating coils 3| are attached to the adjacent insulators 23 of each of said sets. A conventional thermostat 32 is mounted on the bottom of the container l0 and disposed between the heating elements 3|.

As best seen in the diagrammatic view, Figure 6, the electric fan 2| and the heating coils 3| are connected in circuit with a conductor 33 which leads from a source of electric current, not shown, as for example a conventional electric outlet box, and which is provided with a return, ground wire or conductor 34. The thermostat 32 is connected in the circuit, as for example in the return wire 34 and is shown in an open position out of engagement with a contact point 35. A small lamp bulb 36, which is disposed in a recess in the outer side of the front wall of the container I0, is connected with the conductor wire 33 in circuit with the heating elements 3| and the fan 2|. The lamp bulb 36 is preferably colored red and forms a pilot or telltale visual indicator to indicate when the heating elements and the fan are energized, as will hereinafter become apparent. A switch, designated generally 31, is provided in the ground wire 34 and includes a yieldable contact element 38 and a resilient contact member 39. The contact member 33 has its free end disposed to be engaged by a portion of the door l3, when in a closed position, and thereby hold the member 39 under tension and in engagement with the contact element 33 to complete the connection from the contact point 35 to the negative side of the source of electric current. A conventional time controlled master switch including a clock 40 is connected to the conductor 33 between the source of electric current and the fan 2!. The clock 40, which is mounted on the top of the container i0, is adapted to be set, in a conventional manner, for interrupting the circuit, as disclosed in Figure 6, at a predetermined future time. A lamp socket 4| is mounted in the container In above and adjacent the door l3 and is provided with a lamp bulb 42, for illuminating the interior of the container I0, which is provided with a branch conductor 43 which extends from the conductor 33 through the lamp bulb 42 and which is provided at its free end with a contact element 44 which is positioned to be engaged by the resilient contact member 39, when said member is released by the opening of the dcor I3 and thereby permitted to swing outwardly.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the container l0 can be filled with pails or jars of bulb comb honey which has become granulated or crystallized by being subjected to low temperatures. The master switch can be closed and set by the clock 40 for maintaining the temperature in the container above degrees Fahrenheit and less than degrees Fahrenheit to liqueiy the honey. With the master switch associated with clock 40 thus closed, and the door I 3 in a closed position so that the contact members 33 and 33 of the switch 31 are in a closed position, when the temperature in the container I0 falls to 110 degrees Fahrenheit the thermostat 32 would be moved thereby to contact the contact point 35 to close the circuit and to thus energize the electric fan 2|, the heating elements 3| and the pilot light 36. The heating elements 3| will heat the air in the lower portion oi the container HI, which air will be circulated through the container by the electric fan 2| and through and around the shelves It to uniformly heat the pails or jars of honey supported thereby. When the temperature in the container rises to approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit the thermostat 32 will resume an open position, as illustrated in Figure 6 to break the circuit to the heating elements 3| and the fan 2|. The shield 26 will prevent the honey disposed adjacent to the heating elements from being heated to too high a temperature and the heated shield will tend to maintain the temperature in the container when the heating elements 3| are deenergized. The pilot light 36 provides visual indicating means to show when the heating elements and electric fan are functioning. II the door I3 is opened while the heating elements and the fan are energized the resilient contact member 33 will move out of engagement with the contact element 38 and break the circuit to deenergize these parts so that the heat will not be wasted and the heated air will not be blown out of the container l0. Likewise, the opening of the door will cause the contact member 33 to contact the element 44 to energize the lamp bulb 42 to illuminate the interior of the container. The switch associated with the time control means 40 is adapted to be set so that after the honey has been subjected to the heat of the container III for a sufliclent time to liqueiy the honey this switch will automatically be opened by the clock to break the circuit to the fan and heating elements, thereby making it unnecessary to provide an attendant to see that the device is turned 021' after a sufilcient time has elapsed to completely liquefy the honey.

The container III is preferably provided with a Fahrenheit thermometer 45 disposed therewithin and adjacent the door |3 by means of which the temperature within the container may be checked if desired. The container I0 is adapted to be mounted on casters 46.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for liquefylng honey comprisinc an insulated casing, a plurality of shelves of open work material disposed in said casing in superimposed spaced apart relationship relatively to each other and to the bottom of the casing, means for heating said casing, means for creating a circulation of air in the casing, a thermostat for controlling said heating means and said air circulation means for maintaining a substantially uniform temperature in the casing, said casing being provided with a closure, said air circulating means and heating means being connected in a circuit through said thermostat to a source of electric current, and a switch associated with said closure for opening the circuit to said heating and air circulating means when the closure is moved to an open position.

2. A device for liquefying granulated or crystallized comb honey comprising an insulated container provided with a plurality of shelves for containing granulated comb honey to be liquefied, said shelves being of open work construction to permit passage of air therethrough,

a heating lement mounted in said container, an electric fan mounted in the container for circulating the air therethrough, said heating element and electric Ian being connected in circuit to a source of electric current, a thermostat disposed in said container and connected to said circuit to energize and deenergize the heating element and electric fan, a time control switch connected to said circuit and adapted to be set to open the circuit at a predetermined time, said container being provided with a closure, and switch means actuated by said closure for opening the circuit to the heating element and electric fan when the closure is in an open position.

JULIAN O. HALLMAN, Sn. 

